Go seeks additional funds for tropical medicine research
Senator Christopher ‘’Bong’’ Go has sought additional funds for the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), the pioneer testing center in the country.
Go, chairman of the Senate Health committee, earlier fought for additional budget for RITM prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to increase it to P223.8 million for 2020 and P393.8 million for 2021.
During a budget hearing of the proposed 2022 budget of the Department of Health (DOH), Go also called for greater budget allocations for the Epidemiology and Surveillance and the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response programs of the DOH as well as the One Hospital Command Center (OHCC), all of which are crucial to the government response to the pandemic and other infectious disseaes.
The senator from Davao went on to note the P45.4 billion in the ‘’unprogrammed fund’’ for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots and requested that further assessments be made to ensure their efficient procurement as the DOH and Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) study the possibility of giving booster shots to healthcare workers (HCWs) in the near future.
On this note, the lawmaker reminded fellow lawmakers to further ensure that there is enough funding for hospitals and health facilities such as the Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine Heart Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine Children's Medical Center and other major hospitals.
He strongly reminded the DOH to keep working hard to help the nation overcome the ongoing crisis while ensuring that there are no irregularities in its transactions.
Go, who also serves as vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, particularly called for the inclusion of additional resources to ensure the continuous provision of allowances for the country’s HCWs.
He reiterated his appeal for the passage of a measure he co-sponsored which provides for a fixed monthly allowance to HCWs throughout the duration of the current state of emergency.
Senate Bill (SB) 2421 takes into consideration an earlier bill that Go authored and provides a COVID-19 Risk Allowance in lieu of the special risk allowance, active hazard duty pay, life insurance, and other allowances granted under Bayanihan 2. All HCWs deployed in “low risk areas” will be given P3,000; those in “medium risk areas” will be given P6,000; those in “high risk areas” will be given P9,000.
In line with this, Go also called for the adequate provision of funds for the implementation of a directive of President Duterte which increased the salary grade of Nurse II positions from SG 15 to SG 16.
“We do not want low morale among the ranks of our nurses. Nagsasakripisyo rin po ang mga ito(They have also sacrificed). We should thus provide them with better pay,” he emphasized.
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